Effects of reflexology on premenstrual syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Background Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) refers to a set of somatic and psychological symptoms that occur cyclically in the luteal phase of a menstrual cycle. There is no report of final result of reflexology on PMS. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the effect of reflexology on PMS through a systematic review and meta-analysis study. Method The present study was a systematic review and meta-analysis that was conducted by searching in 8 electronic databases including PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, ProQuest, Scopus, Google Scholar, and SID until December 28, 2018. In this regard, interventional studies, which examined the impact of reflexology on women with premenstrual syndrome, were included. These studies were published during 1993 to 2018. The Cochrane Collaboration’s Risk of Bias Tool was used to assess the quality of studies. Meta-analysis was performed by the help of CMA 2 software. Results Nine out of 407 studies finally remained after screening, and quantitative and quantitative analyses were performed on them. The total number of research samples was 475. The mean treatment time with reflexology was 40.55 min per session that was performed in 6 to 10 sessions of treatment in 66.67% of studies. According to the meta-analysis and based on the random effects model, the reflexology could decrease the severity of PMS in the intervention group compared to the control group (SMD = − 2.717, 95% CI: − 3.722 to − 1.712). Meta-regression results indicated that the duration of intervention sessions (β = − 0.1124, 95% CI − 0.142 to − 0.084, p < 0.001) had a significant impact on the severity of PMS. Reflexology could also significantly affect somatic (SMD = − 1.142, 95% CI: − 1.481 to − 0.803) and psychological (SMD = − 1.380, 95% CI: − 2.082 to − 0.677) symptoms arising from PMS. Conclusion In general, results of the present study indicated that the reflexology could relieve PMS symptoms, so that overall scores, somatic and psychological symptoms of PMS decreased by applying the reflexology intervention. Furthermore, an increase in the length of reflexology time in each session increased its efficiency. Reflexology can be used as an effective intervention in a patient care program by nurses and its efficiency can be enhanced by increasing intervention time in each reflexology treatment session.

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The Impact of a Stabilization Exercise on Neck Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Journal of Neurological Surgery Part A Central European Neurosurgery ◽

10.1055/s-0039-3400953 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 81 (04) ◽

pp. 342-347

Author(s):

Binbin Wu ◽

Hongyan Yuan ◽

Deyu Geng ◽

Liang Zhang ◽

Cheng Zhang

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Neck Pain ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Neck Disability Index ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Control Group ◽

Stabilization Exercise ◽

Pain Scores ◽

The Impact

Abstract Introduction The efficacy of a stabilization exercise for the relief of neck pain remains controversial. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to explore the effectiveness of a stabilization exercise on neck pain. Methods We searched Embase, Web of Science, EBSCO Information Services, and the Cochrane Library databases through May 2019 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the impact of a stabilization exercise on neck pain. This meta-analysis was performed using the random effects model. Results Six RCTs are included in the meta-analysis. Compared with the control group of patients with neck pain, a stabilization exercise can significantly reduce pain scores at 4 to 6 weeks (mean difference [MD]: −2.41; 95% confidence interval [CI], −4.46 to −0.35; p = 0.02), Neck Disability Index [NDI] at 10 to 12 weeks (MD:− 6.75; 95% CI, −11.71 to −1.79; p = 0.008), and depression scale at 4 to 6 weeks (MD: −4.65; 95% CI, −7.00 to −2.31; p = 0.02), but it has no obvious impact on pain scores at 10 to 12 weeks (MD: −1.07; 95% CI, −3.42 to 1.28; p = 0.37) or at 6 months (MD: −1.02; 95% CI, −3.43 to 1.39; p = 0.41). Conclusions A stabilization exercise can provide some benefits to control neck pain.

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Tailored Web-Based Smoking Interventions and Reduced Attrition: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Journal of Medical Internet Research ◽

10.2196/16255 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 22 (10) ◽

pp. e16255

Author(s):

Amika Shah ◽

Michael Chaiton ◽

Dolly Baliunas ◽

Robert Schwartz

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Smoking Cessation ◽

Passive Control ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Control Group ◽

Web Based ◽

The Impact

Background The increasing number of internet users presents an opportunity to deliver health interventions to large populations. Despite their potential, many web-based interventions, including those for smoking cessation, face high rates of attrition. Further consideration of how intervention features impact attrition is needed. Objective The aim of this systematic review is to investigate whether tailored web-based smoking cessation interventions for smokers are associated with reduced rates of attrition compared with active or passive untailored web-based interventions. The outcomes of interest were dropout attrition at 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups. Methods Literature searches were conducted in May 2018 and updated in May 2020 on MEDLINE (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online), PsycINFO (Psychological Information), EMBASE (Excerpta Medica dataBASE), CINAHL (Cumulated Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), Scopus, and the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group Specialized Register with the following search terms: smoking cessation, tailored, or web- or internet-based. Included studies were published in English before or in May 2020 using a randomized controlled trial design. Studies were restricted to those with web-based delivery, a tailored intervention group, an untailored control group, and a reported outcome of smoking cessation. Studies were assessed for methodological quality using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Two reviewers independently extracted the study characteristics and the number of participants lost to follow-up for each treatment group. Results A total of 13 studies were included in the systematic review, of which 11 (85%) were included in the meta-analysis. Tailoring had no statistically significant effect on dropout attrition at 1-month (risk ratio [RR]=1.02, 95% CI 0.95-1.09; P=.58; I2=78%), 3-month (RR=0.99, 95% CI 0.95-1.04; P=.80; I2=73%), 6-month (RR=1.00, 95% CI 0.95-1.05; P=.90; I2=43%), or 12-month (RR=0.97, 95% CI 0.92-1.02; P=.26; I2=28%) follow-ups. Subgroup analyses suggested that there was a statistically significant effect of tailoring between the active and passive subgroups at 1-month (P=.03), 3-month (P<.001), and 6-month (P=.02) follow-ups but not at 12-month follow-up (P=.25). Conclusions The results suggest that tailoring of web-based smoking cessation interventions may not be associated with reduced rates of dropout attrition at 1-, 3-, 6-, or 12-month follow-ups. Significant differences between studies that include untailored active and passive control groups suggest that the role of tailoring may be more prominent when studies include a passive control group. These findings may be because of variability in the presence of additional features, the definition of smokers used, and the duration of smoking abstinence measured. Future studies should incorporate active web-based controls, compare the impact of different tailoring strategies, and include populations outside of the Western countries.

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Effectiveness of solar disinfection water treatment method for reducing childhood diarrhoea: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-038255 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. e038255

Author(s):

Negasa Eshete Soboksa ◽

Sirak Robele Gari ◽

Abebe Beyene Hailu ◽

Dereje Oljira Donacho ◽

Bezatu Mengistie Alemu

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Water Treatment ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Treatment Method ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Control Group ◽

Solar Disinfection ◽

Childhood Diarrhoea ◽

Registration Number

ObjectiveThis study aimed to pool out the available evidence on the effectiveness of the solar disinfection water treatment method for reducing childhood diarrhoea.DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.SettingGlobal.MethodsSearches were conducted in Medline/PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library databases and references to other studies. The review included all children living anywhere in the world regardless of sex, ethnicity and socioeconomic status published in English until December 2019. Studies that compared the diarrhoea incidence between the intervention group who were exposed to solar disinfection water treatment and the control group who were not exposed to such water treatment were included. The outcome of interest was the change in observed diarrhoea incidence and the risk from baseline to postintervention. Two independent reviewers critically appraised the selected studies. Effect sizes were expressed as risk ratios, and their 95% CIs were calculated for analysis.ResultsWe identified 10 eligible studies conducted in Africa, Latin America and Asia that included 5795 children aged from 1 to 15 years. In all identified studies, solar disinfection reduced the risk of diarrhoea in children, and the effect was statistically significant in eight of the studies. The estimated pooled risk ratio of childhood diarrhoea among participants that used the solar disinfection water treatment method was 0.62 (95% CI 0.53 to 0.72). The overall pooled results indicated that the intervention of solar disinfection water treatment had reduced the risk of childhood diarrhoea by 38%.ConclusionsThe intervention of solar disinfection water treatment significantly reduced the risk of childhood diarrhoea. However, the risk of bias and marked heterogeneity of the included studies precluded definitive conclusions. Further high-quality studies are needed to determine whether solar disinfection water treatment is an important method to reduce childhood diarrhoea.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020159243

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Tailored Web-Based Smoking Interventions and Reduced Attrition: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.16255 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Amika Shah ◽

Michael Chaiton ◽

Dolly Baliunas ◽

Robert Schwartz

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Smoking Cessation ◽

Passive Control ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Control Group ◽

Web Based ◽

The Impact

BACKGROUND The increasing number of internet users presents an opportunity to deliver health interventions to large populations. Despite their potential, many web-based interventions, including those for smoking cessation, face high rates of attrition. Further consideration of how intervention features impact attrition is needed. OBJECTIVE The aim of this systematic review is to investigate whether tailored web-based smoking cessation interventions for smokers are associated with reduced rates of attrition compared with active or passive untailored web-based interventions. The outcomes of interest were dropout attrition at 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups. METHODS Literature searches were conducted in May 2018 and updated in May 2020 on MEDLINE (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online), PsycINFO (Psychological Information), EMBASE (Excerpta Medica dataBASE), CINAHL (Cumulated Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), Scopus, and the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group Specialized Register with the following search terms: smoking cessation, tailored, or web- or internet-based. Included studies were published in English before or in May 2020 using a randomized controlled trial design. Studies were restricted to those with web-based delivery, a tailored intervention group, an untailored control group, and a reported outcome of smoking cessation. Studies were assessed for methodological quality using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Two reviewers independently extracted the study characteristics and the number of participants lost to follow-up for each treatment group. RESULTS A total of 13 studies were included in the systematic review, of which 11 (85%) were included in the meta-analysis. Tailoring had no statistically significant effect on dropout attrition at 1-month (risk ratio [RR]=1.02, 95% CI 0.95-1.09; P=.58; I2=78%), 3-month (RR=0.99, 95% CI 0.95-1.04; P=.80; I2=73%), 6-month (RR=1.00, 95% CI 0.95-1.05; P=.90; I2=43%), or 12-month (RR=0.97, 95% CI 0.92-1.02; P=.26; I2=28%) follow-ups. Subgroup analyses suggested that there was a statistically significant effect of tailoring between the active and passive subgroups at 1-month (P=.03), 3-month (P<.001), and 6-month (P=.02) follow-ups but not at 12-month follow-up (P=.25). CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that tailoring of web-based smoking cessation interventions may not be associated with reduced rates of dropout attrition at 1-, 3-, 6-, or 12-month follow-ups. Significant differences between studies that include untailored active and passive control groups suggest that the role of tailoring may be more prominent when studies include a passive control group. These findings may be because of variability in the presence of additional features, the definition of smokers used, and the duration of smoking abstinence measured. Future studies should incorporate active web-based controls, compare the impact of different tailoring strategies, and include populations outside of the Western countries.

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Utility of perfusion imaging in acute stroke treatment: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery ◽

10.1136/neurintsurg-2016-012751 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 9 (10) ◽

pp. 1012-1016 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Won Hyung A Ryu ◽

Michael B Avery ◽

Navjit Dharampal ◽

Isabel E Allen ◽

Steven W Hetts

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Acute Stroke ◽

Perfusion Imaging ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Scientific Evidence ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Control Group ◽

Eligibility Criteria ◽

Stroke Treatment

BackgroundVariability in imaging protocols and techniques has resulted in a lack of consensus regarding the incorporation of perfusion imaging into stroke triage and treatment. The objective of our study was to evaluate the available scientific evidence regarding the utility of perfusion imaging in determining treatment eligibility in patients with acute stroke and in predicting their clinical outcome.MethodsWe performed a systematic review of the literature using PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library focusing on themes of medical imaging, stroke, treatment, and outcome (CRD42016037817). We included randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, and case-controlled studies published from 2011 to 2016. Two independent reviewers conducted the study appraisal, data abstraction, and quality assessments of the studies.ResultsOur literature search yielded 13 studies that met our inclusion criteria. In total, 994 patients were treated with the aid of perfusion imaging compared with 1819 patients treated with standard care. In the intervention group 51.1% of patients had a favorable outcome at 3 months compared with 45.6% of patients in the control group (p=0.06). Subgroup analysis of studies that used multimodal therapy (IV tissue plasminogen activator, endovascular thrombectomy) showed a significant benefit of perfusion imaging (OR 1.89, 95% CI 1.43 to 2.51, p<0.01).ConclusionsPerfusion imaging may represent a complementary tool to standard radiographic assessment in enhancing patient selection for reperfusion therapy, with a subset of patients having up to 1.9 times the odds of achieving independent functional status at 3 months. This is particularly important as patients selected based on perfusion status often included individuals who did not meet the current treatment eligibility criteria.

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Adherence to Lifestyle Interventions for Treatment of Adults with Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph182413268 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (24) ◽

pp. 13268

Author(s):

Adoración Castro ◽

Miquel Roca ◽

Ignacio Ricci-Cabello ◽

Mauro García-Toro ◽

Pau Riera-Serra ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Depressive Symptomatology ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Dropout Rate ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Future Research ◽

Lifestyle Interventions ◽

The Impact

The aim of this systematic review was to determine the adherence to lifestyle interventions for adults with depression and to estimate the dropout rates in trials examining the impact of these interventions. A bibliographic search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, the Cochrane library, and several sources of grey literature. We included randomised controlled trials examining the impact of multiple lifestyle interventions on depressive symptomatology in adults when compared to control or other active treatments. Two reviewers independently screened citations, extracted the relevant data, and assessed the risk of bias using Cochrane tools. A random effects meta-analysis of proportions was used to summarise the proportion of participants who completed the intervention and to determine the proportion of dropouts at post-treatment assessment. Multiple subgroup analyses were also carried out. We identified six trials. The meta-analysis of proportions showed that 53% (95%CI 49% to 58%) of the participants assigned to the intervention group fully adhered to the intervention program. The weighted mean proportion of completed intervention sessions was 66%. The pooled trial dropout rate was 22% (95%CI 20% to 24%). Around half of adults with depression adhere to lifestyle interventions. Future research is needed to develop interventions to support adherence to lifestyle interventions in depressive patients.

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The Effect of Lavender (Lavandula stoechas L.) on Reducing Labor Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine ◽

10.1155/2020/4384350 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Mohsen Kazeminia ◽

Alireza Abdi ◽

Aliakbar Vaisi-Raygani ◽

Rostam Jalali ◽

Shamarina Shohaimi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Labor Pain ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Control Group ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Lavandula Stoechas ◽

The Mean ◽

And Control

Background. Labor pain is one of the most severe pains, which most of women experience. By using novel supportive methods, the labor pain can be reduced, which makes this event pleasant and delightful. Several original studies have been conducted in regard to the effect of lavender on reducing labor pain, whose results are controversial. One of the applications of meta-analysis studies is to respond to these hypotheses and remove controversies; therefore, this study aimed to determine the effect of lavender on labor pain in Iran by using meta-analysis. Methods. In this study, to find published articles electronically from 2006 to 2019, the published articles in national and international databases of SID, MagIran, IranMedex, IranDoc, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, Embase, ScienceDirect, Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science (ISI) were used. Heterogenic index between studies was determined by Cochrane test (Q)c and I2. Due to heterogeneity, the random effects model was used to estimate standardize difference of the mean score of lavender test in order to assess the labor pain between intervention and control group. Results. In this meta-analysis and systematic review, finally 13 eligible articles met the inclusion criteria of the study. The sample size from original studies enrolled in the meta-analysis entered in the intervention group was 794 individuals and in the control group was 795 individuals. Mean score for pain in the control group was 7.2 ± 0.42 and in the intervention group was 5.4 ± 0.58 and this difference was statistically significant p ≤ 0.001 . Conclusion. The results of this study showed that lavender can reduce labor pain, which can be considered by health policy makers and gynecologists.

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Effects of Microbiota-Driven Therapy on Circulating Trimethylamine-N-Oxide Metabolism: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine ◽

10.3389/fcvm.2021.710567 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Lina Miao ◽

Jianpeng Du ◽

Zhuhong Chen ◽

Dazhuo Shi ◽

Hua Qu

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Small Sample Size ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Small Sample ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Control Group ◽

Bias Analysis ◽

Betaine Aldehyde

Aim: This study was designed to systematically evaluate the effects of microbiota-driven therapy on decreasing TMAO and its related metabolites.Methods and Results: PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Library databases were searched (up to July 2021). Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), compared microbiota-driven therapy (prebiotics, probiotics, or synbiotics) with placebo on decreasing TMAO and its related metabolites, were eligible. Two researchers extracted the data independently and the disagreement was resolved by a third researcher. The risk of bias of included study was evaluated using Cochrane tool (RoB 2.0). Meta-analysis, meta-regression analysis and publication bias analysis were performed by RevMan 5.3 or Stata 12.0 software. Ten studies (12 arms) involving 342 patients (168 patients in the intervention group and 174 patients in the control group) were included. Compared with the control group, microbiota-driven therapy did not reduce circulating TMAO [SMD = −0.05, 95% CI (−0.36, 0.26), P = 0.749], choline [SMD = −0.34, 95% CI (−1.09, 0.41), P = 0.373], betaine aldehyde [SMD = −0.704, 95% CI (−1.789, 0.382), P = 0.204], and L-carnatine [SMD = −0.06, 95% CI (−0.38, 0.25), P = 0.692].Conclusion: Current evidence does not support that microbiota-driven treatment reduce circulating levels of TMAO, choline, betaine aldehyde, and L-carnitine. However, given the small sample size, this conclusion needs to be proved in the future.Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO:CRD42019119107.

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Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on haemorrhagic stroke admissions: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2021-050559 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (12) ◽

pp. e050559

Author(s):

Yijie You ◽

Yunlian Niu ◽

Fengbing Sun ◽

Jian Zhang ◽

Sheng Huang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Subarachnoid Haemorrhage ◽

Intracerebral Haemorrhage ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Control Period ◽

Haemorrhagic Stroke ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Control Group ◽

The Difference ◽

The Impact

Background and purposeCOVID-19 pandemic, a global health crisis, is disrupting the present medical environment. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on stroke hospitalisations, especially haemorrhagic stroke.MethodsThe EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, Elsevier, Medline, Cochrane Library and Google Scholar electronic databases were searched for all relevant studies. Two researchers independently screened the studies, extracted data and assessed the quality of the included studies. Odds ratio (OR), total events, OR and 95% CI were considered as the effect size. A fixed-effects model was used to pool the study-specific estimate. The present study was performed by using Review Manager (V.5.3.0) software. We assessed the risk of bias using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale.ResultsA total of 17 studies with 14 445 cases were included. Overall, the number of stroke admissions is lower in the pandemic period versus the control period (6252 vs 8193). The difference of haemorrhagic stroke is significant, with 1233 of 6252 cases in the pandemic group and 1621 of 8193 cases in the control group. Intracerebral haemorrhage is present in 461 of 1948 cases in the pandemic group and 618 of 2734 cases in the control group. As for subarachnoid haemorrhage, the difference between the two groups is significant, with 70 of 985 cases in the pandemic group and 202 of 1493 cases in the control group.ConclusionsThe number of stroke admissions is lower in the pandemic period compared with the control period. There is a higher rate of haemorrhagic stroke in the pandemic period. Subgroup analysis identifies a significant increase in the occurrence of intracerebral haemorrhage in the pandemic period. Due to limited data and the impact of a single article, the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on subarachnoid haemorrhage is unclear.

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Effect of Phonophoresis On Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

10.21203/rs.3.rs-799017/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Fu-An Yang ◽

Hung-Lun Chen ◽

Chih-Wei Peng ◽

Tsan-Hon Liou ◽

Reuben Escorpizo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Knee Osteoarthritis ◽

Randomized Controlled Trials ◽

Large Scale ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Control Group ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Randomized Controlled

Abstract Phonophoresis is an alternative treatment for knee osteoarthritis. However, evidence supporting the advantages of phonophoresis remains inconsistent. This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to illustrate the effect of phonophoresis. The PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases were searched for relevant studies from the date of their inception to 28 June, 2021. The eligibility criteria were: (1) randomized controlled trials (RCTs); (2) patients diagnosed as having knee osteoarthritis; (3) treatment with either phonophoresis or therapeutic ultrasound with placebo gels; and (4) reporting clinical and functional outcomes. Continuous variables are expressed as standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 software. The analysis included nine RCTs covering a total of 423 patients. The intervention group significantly outperformed the control group in visual analog scale score [SMD = −0.65, 95% CI (−1.04, −0.25), P = 0.001], Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) score [SMD = −0.71, 95% CI (−1.26, −0.16), P = 0.01], and walk test score [SMD = −0.67, 95% CI (−1.21, −0.13), P = 0.02]. As a result, phonophoresis might alleviate pain and improve function in the short term. Further high-quality, large-scale RCTs are required to confirm the benefits.

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